Vast volumes of the chemical, medical and cosmetic literature have been generated concerning the causes, effects and prevention of human perspiration. "Perspiration", or "sweat", may be generally defined as including the excretion of the sweat glands situated in the corium or subcutaneous tissue, known as eccrine sweat glands, distributed over most of the body surface. While perspiration serves an important function in cooling the body through its evaporation, the by-products resulting from its bacterial degradation may be malodorous and aesthetically objectionable.
Malodor is particularly associated with perspiration secreted at areas of the body where apocrine sweat glands, in addition to eccrine sweat glands, can be found. Two principal areas which have apocrine sweat glands are the axilla and the crotch. See, for example, J Labows, et al , "Perspectives on Axillary Odor" 34 J. Soc. Cosmetic Chemists 193-202 (1982) and P. Jackman, "Body Odor--The Role of Skin Bacteria" 1 Seminars in Dermatology 143-148 (1982). A variety of bacteria have been implicated in producing axillary malodor, a principal bacteria responsible for such malodor being the gram positive microflora naturally found in the axilla, e.g., the diphtheroids, such as the Corynebacteria and Propionibacteria, and the gram positive cocci, such as the Staphylococci and Micrococci.
A great number of compositions have been developed and described in the literature for reducing or eliminating the aesthetic problems associated with perspiration. See, for example, S. Plechner, "Antiperspirants and Deodorants", 2 Cosmetics, Science and Technology, 373-416 (M. Balsam and E. Sagarin ed. 1972). Such compositions can be generally classified as: antiperspirants, which serve to stop or reduce flow of perspiration; perfumes, which mask any objectionable odors resulting from perspiration; and deodorants, which stop or reduce the production of malodorous material in perspiration. For a variety of reasons, deodorant compositions are preferred by a large number of consumers. For example, some individuals are unable to use commercially-available antiperspirant products due to hypersensitivity to the astringent materials typically used in those products.
Deodorant compositions have primarily been thought of in the art in the context of stopping or reducing the formation of bacterial by-products in perspiration. This has been accomplished through the use of anti-microbial agents which attack the bacteria responsible for producing the malodorous by-products. While these anti-microbial deodorants have been effective in reducing malodor, they have not completely eliminated the formation of the malodorous condition. Thus, it is desirable to provide deodorant compositions which can further reduce malodor.
Additionally, it is desirable to reduce malodor once it is formed. In certain instances, malodor may remain, e.g., in the axilla and crotch areas, or in axilla and crotch areas of articles of clothing, even after washing. Traditionally, malodor that is already formed has been masked by perfumes. It is desirable to provide improved methods and compositions for reducing malodor that can remain subsequent to washing of the person or articles of clothing. In one approach, described in PCT International Patent Application Publication Number WO 87/04341, published Jul. 30, 1987, it is disclosed that axillary malodor can be neutralized by the use of cupric sulfate, silver sulfate, potassium permanganate, ferric chloride, sodium hydroxide, silver proteinate, sodium hypochlorite, zinc sulfate, or copper gluconate. However, it is desirable to provide alternative technology for neutralizing malodor.
It is an object of this invention to provide compositions effective for controlling nonmicrobial malodor from human sweat. It is a further object of this invention to provide methods effective for controlling malodor from human sweat.